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| Inspecting the net. There must be whitebait around here somewhere! |
Setting up a box net. |
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| You can tell there isn't much happening when you see the whitebaiters standing around talking in groups - instead of emptying their nets! |
Not much happening with the whitebait. But with the sun shining and snow on the Southern Alps it sure beats working! |
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| Here the telephoto lens has produced an odd perspective that looks a bit like a Young Farmer Fencing Contest. The Southland Sock in the foreground is unusual at the mouth of the Waimakariri River. |
This little red inflatable was walked and pushed, at low tide, from the Spencer Park end of Brooklands Lagoon. A silvery, or Stokells smelt, caught in a whitebait net - often called cucumber fish from their smell. |
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| Whitebaiters are always coming up with good ideas to make life a bit easier. Here a box on the little trailer can store the net and gobys but also makes a great seat providing some protection from sun and wind. |
When there aren't that many whitebait around all you can do is "hurry up and wait!" Some people, myself included, don't have the patience for that. I like to have a go with my pole net or drag net for a couple of hours, catch enough for a good feed, then do something else. Many stick at all day! |
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| Drag netting is almost always productive. I like it because you can start fishing quickly without the need to set up a net and gobys. However, when the whitebait are really running in good numbers, the set net will be more productive for a lot less effort overall. |
The Waimakariri River is still running high and discoloured following recent heavy rain and extensive flooding. |
